{"id":1637,"date":"2018-12-30T18:35:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-30T18:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aptnewsghana.com\/?p=1637"},"modified":"2018-12-30T18:38:09","modified_gmt":"2018-12-30T18:38:09","slug":"dr-congo-election-presidential-poll-hit-by-delays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aptnewsghana.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/30\/dr-congo-election-presidential-poll-hit-by-delays\/","title":{"rendered":"DR Congo election: Presidential poll hit by delays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sunday’s vote for a new president in\n the Democratic Republic of Congo has been hit by a series of delays \nthat have left people frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The failure of new electronic voting machines in some polling stations was one of the challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polls\n have now closed in an election that is expected to bring the country’s \nfirst peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joseph Kabila is stepping down after 17 years in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final result is expected be announced in a week’s time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The election should have taken place two years ago but was repeatedly postponed because of logistical problems, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The run-up to the poll had been hit by violence and controversy over the decision to exclude some 1.26 million out of an electorate of nearly 40 million from voting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polls opened at 05:00 (04:00 GMT) and officially \nclosed at 17:00, but people still in the queue at that time have been \nallowed to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did the day go?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Things started slowly in the capital, Kinshasa, because of heavy rain, reports the BBC’s Louise Dewast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been delays in a number of areas because of problems with the electronic voting machines, which are being used for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was frustration in Limete, a district of \nKinshasa, as the electoral register had not been delivered and people \nwere unable to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those waiting then booed the head of the electoral commission (Ceni), Corneille Nangaa, who had come to the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Goma, in the east, voting was continuing 90 minutes after the polls had officially closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was partly because they had opened late and people were taking longer to vote than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\n were also isolated incidents of violence caused by problems with the \nway the vote was being managed, our correspondent says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A police \nofficer and a civilian were killed in Walungu, South Kivu province, in \nan altercation at a polling station, a UN official told the BBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calm despite delays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The heavy morning rain inundated many of the capital’s dirt roads and meant things started slowly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were also problems with the electronic voting machines and the failure to display the electoral register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite\n the chaotic electoral process, things were generally calm and voters \nseemed glad that this historic day had finally come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next \nhurdle will be the compilation of results. This crucial step has proved \nproblematic in previous elections and led EU and US observers to \nconclude that they had not been credible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who’s running for president?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Composite<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Opposition candidates Martin Fayulu (L) and Felix Tshisekedi (R) face Emmanuel Shadary (C), the former interior minister <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n